Mr. Chair and members of this committee, I can understand and appreciate some of the questions that are being asked and why they're being targeted the way they are.
When you're doing a whole bunch of renovations on your house, a general contractor is beneficial because they are a single throat to choke. In the case of the private sector and its partnerships, my understanding is that PSPC welcomes partnerships.
I think there's a lot of discussion around this table around whether or not subcontracting is useful and good. As a guy who has worked in IT for 19 of the 23 years I've been in government, that's not for me to decide and it's not for me to judge. I think that governments of any colour can decide to change policies if they would like, to allow or change the methods of subcontracting. That's a discussion that may need to take place. That's a study that this committee may want to undertake.
In terms of nefarious activities and some of the things that have been suggested at this committee, I have never seen that in my entire life. I've never seen something called ghost contracting. I have never witnessed, nor would I turn a blind eye to, anybody stealing from the government. I know Mr. Utano wouldn't either.